Joining the dots along the chain of war

RICHARD FRIAR seems the most unlikely person to be a peace
activist and filmmaker. A former racehorse trainer and Manly
first-grade footballer, he admits that for most of his life he was
"a typical Aussie bloke" more interested in surfing and beer than
politics.

Then something clicked. Incensed by the conflict in Iraq, and
Australia's involvement, he not only became deeply interested in
the political movement against the war and its links back to
achieving wider social change but he and his partner, Wendy,
decided to make a film about it - even though neither had even held
a camera before.

The result, Think About It!, is a wide-ranging hour-long
documentary that, as Wendy puts it, attempts to "join the dots" for
those who worry where the world is headed but haven't fully worked
out the connections between the big issues or how they might go
about changing things.

The film sprang to life one evening in early 2003 as the Friars
sat at home watching the television news and reports of the looming
Iraq invasion. "I thought to myself, 'This is ridiculous, how
long's this been going on?'," Richard says. "I never really
followed any political or religious beliefs at all before but I
thought, 'We need to do something."'

Wendy, who has a background in nursing and holistic medicine,
agreed, and the Terrey Hills couple started planning the film
project, which has taken up a large part of their lives in the four
years since. "It's been pretty well full-time for the last year,"
Richard says.

Using their own money, borrowed equipment and the help of
friends and volunteers, they shot and edited the documentary
themselves, learning as they went. They have approached the ABC and
SBS and plan screenings in Sydney in the next few weeks. They are
also exploring a possible link with GetUp!, the community activist
website, as well as setting up their own site.

"This film is our love letter to the world," Wendy says. "We
would like to think that, when they see it, other people will feel
they have the licence to do something of their own."

A key role is played by the indigenous actor David Gulpilil, who
punctuates the film as it moves through issues such as the Iraq war
and the peace movement, environmental sustainability, social and
gender relations, race, religion and the role of the media. It's a
kinder, gentler Australian version of Michael Moore, without the
foot-in-the-door style and the aggressively confrontational
approach of the American left-wing gadfly.

Though not party-political, it is very clear where it is coming
from, presenting its anti-war message through interviews with a
range of commentators, activists and politicians.

Apart from Gulpilil the film features the likes of the British
professor and founder of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at
the University of Westminster, John Keane, the US academic Adel
Iskandar, the author of the book Al Jazeera, Anas Altikriti,
a former president of the Muslim Association of Britain and
organiser of the London peace rallies and Dr Ann Wansbrough, a
co-convener of the 2003 Sydney peace march.

There are cameos from Andrew Wilkie, the whistleblower who
resigned in protest over the misrepresentation of Iraq
intelligence, a former Iraq weapons inspector, Rod Barton, Greens
leader Bob Brown, the former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, Labor's
environment spokesman, Peter Garrett, the international peace
activist Cindy Sheehan, Australian Democrats leader Lyn Allison,
and Terry Hicks, father of David Hicks, as well as interviews with
community organisations.

"So little makes it through [the media] and there is so much
that needs to be covered now … this helps to balance the
equation out," says Wendy.

They are now looking to get the message out through community
groups. "You can say the film is about 'joining the dots' but each
person is a dot and we really have to connect them as well," she
says.

Think About It! will be screened on July 26 at the Sydney
Mechanics School of Arts, 280 Pitt Street, Sydney. Groups
interested in organising screenings can contact the Friars on
0414809187 or at www.thinkaboutitmovie.com

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